Articles Feature

Who’s Next? Eyes at Fox Shift to Hannity

by richard11891

Returning May 5

Departures Take Toll on Company Loyalist

Four of Color Awarded U.S. Nieman Fellowships

10 of Color Win Michigan, Stanford Fellowships

April Ryan Named NABJ’s Journalist of the Year

Kimbrough Removed as Dean of FAMU J-School

Gala Comedian Likens Media to ‘Minorities’

Trump Confused About His Hero, Andrew Jackson

Reporter Resigns After Playing Along With N-Word

Since L.A. Riots, More Media Checks, Balances

Immigrants Fear Worsening Job Protections

Short Takes

Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity retweeted an article with the headline ‘Source: Sean Hannity is “Not Negotiating” for an Exit From Fox News.’

Departures Take Toll on Company Loyalist

“Sean Hannity is looking to leave Fox News, according to sources, following the resignation of Fox News co-president Bill Shine officially on Monday,” Andrew Kirell wrote for the Daily Beast.

“Shine was Hannity’s long-time ally whom he personally recommended the network hire two decades ago to produce Hannity & Colmes. In recent days, Hannity warned it would be the ‘total end’ of Fox News should Shine leave, and he rallied conservative activists to back him up.

“Initially, insiders said, Hannity’s army of lawyers had hoped to discuss with Fox ways of protecting his 8-year-old primetime show, amid fears that Lachlan and James Murdoch — fresh off the ousting of Bill O’Reilly — were looking to push the network away from hard-right politics.

“However, with Shine’s departure on Monday, one source told The Daily Beast, there’s no reason for Hannity to stay.

“ ‘The network now belongs to the Murdoch sons,’ another Fox insider said after learning that Shine was gone.

“One insider speculates that the negotiations could end this week and Hannity might be out by Friday. Another said his final show could even be tonight or Tuesday evening, given Shine’s Monday resignation.

“Fox News, however, said in a statement speaking on behalf of Hannity and the network: ‘This is completely untrue.’

“Shine, long considered Roger Ailes’ right-hand man, was named in multiple lawsuits against Fox as having been an enabler of both Ailes’ and O’Reilly’s alleged serial sexual-harassing. In one particular case, ex-host Andrea Tantaros alleged that Shine actively coordinated a campaign to retaliate against her for her accusations against the now-deposed Fox News creator. . . .”

Esme Cribb of Talking Points Memo added, “Late Monday afternoon, Hannity also retweeted an article with the headline ‘Source: Sean Hannity is “Not Negotiating” for an Exit From Fox News’ with the caption: ‘All I’ll say now is this is true.’ . . .”

Four of Color Awarded U.S. Nieman Fellowships

Four journalists of color are among 12 Americans selected for Nieman Journalism Fellowships at Harvard University, according to a listing announced Tuesday. There are also 12 international fellows.

Unlike the other major fellowship programs and previous Nieman administrations, the program is not providing information about the diversity of the class.

“I’m afraid we can’t release that information due to stringent FERPA laws,” Ellen Tuttle, communications officer, told Journal-isms in 2014, referring to the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. “Harvard considers all application information confidential, so we can’t release the information.”

However, the announcement includes this information about the fellows’ study plans:

“Tristan Ahtone, a freelance reporter and member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, will study how to improve coverage of indigenous communities with a particular focus on creating ethical guidelines, protocols and codes of conduct.”
He is also vice president of the Native American Journalists Association.

“Nneka Nwosu Faison, a television reporter and producer at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle program [in Boston], will study how broadcast news stations can utilize social media video as a storytelling and revenue tool. She will also explore how journalists can best use social media to engage diverse audiences. . . .

“Lauren N. Williams, features editor for Essence, will study the historic contributions of black women to American society, with a specific focus on how they have shaped culture and trends. She will develop a new journalistic digital platform that prioritizes their experiences. . . .

“Edward Wong, an international correspondent for The New York Times who most recently served as Beijing Bureau Chief, will study the rise and fall of modern empires, their strategies for shaping the world and the consequences of their declines. He also plans to study visual storytelling. . . .”

Separately, on April 21, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism has announced 10 Knight-Bagehot Fellows in economics and business journalism [PDF] for the 2017-2018 academic year.

They include Jonnelle Marte, 30, lead writer for the personal finance section of the Washington Post; A. Humeyra Pamuk, 36, senior correspondent for Reuters based in Istanbul; Hindol Sengupta, 37, editor at large for the Indian edition of Fortune; and Andrea Wong, 28, who has covered the dollar and U.S. Treasury market for Bloomberg since 2013. [updated May 2]

2017-18 class of John S. Knight Fellows
The 2017-18 class of John S. Knight Journalism Fellows at Stanford University

10 of Color Win Michigan, Stanford Fellowships

Nearly half of the Americans accepted into two of the major journalism fellowship programs are of color, the programs announced Monday.

The chosen 10 will be part of the first classes selected under the leadership of Dawn Garcia of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships program at Stanford University and Lynette Clemetson of the Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellows program at the University of Michigan.

The programs offer a break from day-to-day journalism for mid-career professionals. Fellows are provided a stipend and an opportunity to study topics of their choice on the host campuses. Program leaders say one reason they have been hampered in selecting more journalists of color is that some are reluctant to apply, fearing that their news organizations will not allow them to return.

The Stanford class of 18 includes 12 U.S. fellows and six international participants. The U.S. fellows include:

  • Michael Grant, creative director, San Francisco Business Times, who will explore, “How might we use technology to make training in digital storytelling accessible to minority publishers?”
  • Zeba Khan, independent writer and commentator, The Op-Ed Project, Los Altos, Calif. “How might social media platforms be used to identify and amplify diverse talent in video commentary?”
  • Andre Natta, digital media producer, WBHM-FM public radio, Birmingham, Ala. “How might we enable regional coverage so we better understand its potential impact on the national dialogue?”
  • Soo Oh, news app developer, Vox, Washington, D.C. “How might we better manage and support newsroom journalists who are in technical roles?”
  • Mago Torres, freelance journalist and consultant, Washington D.C. “How can journalists everywhere learn about and use freedom of information systems in countries around the world?”
  • Seema Yasmin, staff writer, Dallas Morning News, and freelance multimedia journalist, Washington, D.C. “During a public health crisis, how can we limit the spread of misinformation and make health and science reporting more accurate?”

The Michigan group of 19 includes 12 American and seven international journalists.

The U.S. fellows include:

  • Regina Boone, photographer, Richmond (Va.) Free Press. “Family, legacy and the viability of black newspapers.”
  • Candice Choi, food industry writer, Associated Press, New York. “Uncovering the social and corporate forces that shape our eating habits.”
  • Azi Paybarah, senior reporter, Politico, New York. “Reaching beyond natural audiences: Rebuilding media credibility through technology.”
  • Robert Yoon, director of political research, CNN, Washington. “Revamping how news organizations collect and disseminate election results and data.”

Garcia wrote for medium.com, “Over the past five months, we tapped into the talents and generosity of our JSK alumni and other colleagues and friends of our program to help us review a record 585 applications from 104 countries.

“. . . While our application totals were not dramatically higher than last year (we’ve received more than 500 applications in each of the past 4 years), we definitely had our own ‘Trump bump.’ Many applicants submitted proposals to help credible news organizations better connect with and understand the needs of their audiences, to combat ‘fake news,’ and to work on ways to rebuild and sustain high-quality reporting in local communities. . . .”

Garcia added by email for Journal-isms, “Our U.S. applicant pool was 40 percent journalists and journalism innovators of color.”

Clemetson told Journal-isms by email, “I didn’t do an explicit cut of the applicant pool looking at specific diversity figures. My assessment is a general one. But applications were up this year and I was very pleased with the quality of the pool. I do wish it had been more diverse in a variety of ways, but I think we’ll see improvements each year as I settle into this role.

“This is a very talented class from a wide-ranging set of backgrounds, interests and skill sets. As diverse as the group is, I would like to see even more diversity in the applicant pool in future years. I’d like to mix the investigative journalists and beat reporters with the business visionaries experimenting with new models.

“I’d like to mix the narrative writers and broadcast producers with the visual story tellers and data specialists. And when it comes to racial and ethnic diversity, I’d like to see a more robust mix of applicants across the board. Rather than be afraid that applying for a fellowship is a risky move that will harm your career, I want more journalists and newsrooms to view it as a clear value-added move.

“Strong multi-disciplinary teams can produce surprising, powerful outcomes. I’ve seen it time and again in my work before coming to this directorship, and I absolutely know it is true of the fellowship environment.”

Corrected to name 10 people of color at Michigan and Stanford, not 11.

 

April Ryan has clashed with White House press secretary Sean Spicer. (screenshot)
April D. Ryan has clashed with White House press secretary Sean Spicer. (screenshot)

April Ryan Named NABJ’s Journalist of the Year

April D. Ryan, the Washington correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks whose visibility rose this year after well-publicized incidents at White House press briefings, has been selected as the 2017 Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ announced Tuesday.

“The annual award recognizes a black journalist who has a distinguished body of work that has extraordinary depth, scope and significance to people of the African Diaspora,” NABJ said.

“A 30-year journalism veteran, Ryan has a unique vantage point as the only black female reporter covering urban issues from the White House — a position she has held for American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) since January 1997. Her position as a White House correspondent for AURN has afforded her unusual insight into the racial sensitivities, issues and political struggles of our nation’s last three presidents.”

Ryan signed on as a CNN political analyst last month.

In March, women and other supporters rallied around Ryan after press secretary Sean Spicer lectured her as she pressed him on the Trump administration’s alleged ties to Russia during the campaign. “Please, stop shaking your head again,” Spicer told Ryan.

“One of the few black journalists in the White House press corps, Ms. Ryan has covered presidents and clashed with press secretaries for 20 years,” Michael M. Grynbaum reported March 31 for the New York Times.

In the early years of the Barack Obama administration, for instance, Ryan continually raised with the White House complaints by the National Black Farmers Association that the administration had not earmarked money to pay a $1.25 billion discrimination settlement with the farmers.

“But her encounters with the Trump administration are propelling the 49-year-old, Baltimore-bred journalist to a new level of prominence — and into a contentious debate over this White House’s attitudes toward gender and race,” Grynbaum wrote.  [Added May 2]

Kimbrough Removed as Dean of FAMU J-School

Ann Wead Kimbrough
Ann Wead Kimbrough

“Dean of Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, Ann Kimbrough, has been removed from her office effective immediately, according to a hand-delivered letter received Monday,” Cara Hackett and DaMarcus Snipes reported Monday for the Famuan, the student newspaper.

“The letter was sent from the office of the Provost and Vice President of Academic affairs.

” ‘You are hereby notified of a change in assignment and removal of administrative duties as Dean of the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication effective immediately,’ the letter said. According to the letter, Kimbrough has been moved to a full-time professor within SJGC.

“At this time, the Provost’s office has not responded to multiple attempts at contact.

“Dhyana Ziegler, long-time SJGC faculty, has been named interim dean of the School of Journalism.

They also wrote, “The letter gave no clear reasoning for the removal of Kimbrough, but said that the decision was made in the ‘best interest’ of the school. . . .”

Kimbrough came to FAMU as dean of the journalism school in August 2012. (scroll down). She had been senior administrator of Webster University’s two largest Arkansas graduate campuses.


Gala Comedian Likens Media to ‘Minorities’

“On Saturday night, comedian Hasan Minhaj used his White House correspondents’ dinner speech to emphasize journalists’ responsibility in an administration where the president uses the media to get all his news,“ Alison Durkee reported Sunday for mic.com.

Abby Ohlheiser and Emily Yahr quoted Minhaj in the Washington Post, “‘You guys have to be more perfect now more than ever. Because you are how the president gets his news. Not from advisers, not from experts, not from intelligence agencies.

“You guys. So that’s why you gotta be on your A game. You gotta be twice as good. You can’t make any mistakes. Because when one of you messes up, he blames your entire group. And now you know what it feels like to be a minority.’

“(Later, addressed again to the media.) ‘By the way, you guys aren’t really minorities, you’re super white.’ . . .”

(Credit: Mike Luckovich/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Credit: Mike Luckovich/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Trump Confused About His Hero, Andrew Jackson

“President Donald Trump made puzzling claims about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War in an interview, suggesting he was uncertain about the origin of the conflict while claiming that Jackson was upset about a war that started 16 years after his death,” Jonathan Lemire reported Monday for the Associated Press.

“Trump, who has at times shown a shaky grasp of U.S. history, said he wonders why issues ‘could not have been worked out’ in order to prevent the secession of 11 Southern states and a war that lasted four years and killed more than 600,000 soldiers. . . .

“Trump, who has at times shown a shaky grasp of U.S. history, said he wonders why issues ‘could not have been worked out’ in order to prevent the secession of 11 Southern states and a war that lasted four years and killed more than 600,000 soldiers. . . . ”

Trump considers Jackson one of his heroes. In reporting on Trump’s remarks Monday for the “CBS Evening News,” Margaret Brennan noted that “Jackson’s support for slavery continues to haunt his legacy.”

Meanwhile, in Wilmington, N.C., General Manager Gary McNair of WECT-TV equated taking down Confederate memorials with removing “our history.” He editorialized that “For southerners, the issue was states’ rights and sadly, slavery was a part of that. But there was so much more. . . . Getting hung up on either extreme of this issue is not worth having another war over. . . . ” He asked for viewers’ thoughts.

McNair told Journal-isms by email on Monday, “For what it’s worth, the story got a lot more reaction than my editorial. I heard from about a dozen people, most in agreement with an additional perspective or thought. And I heard from a couple [extremists] on both sides. Those that have strong feelings on this subject….really have strong feelings.”

Reporter Resigns After Playing Along With N-Word

Valerie Hoff
Valerie Hoff

“Veteran 11Alive reporter Valerie Hoff resigned today two weeks after she jokingly used the N-word — the version with an ‘a’ at the end of it — in a private message to a black man on Twitter that he publicized,” Rodney Ho reported Friday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Ho also wrote, “The man, who identified himself to me as Curtis Rivers, had posted a video of a white police officer punching a black motorist on his @curtfromdablock Twitter feed. Hoff was trying to get permission to use it for a breaking news story. On Twitter, Rivers had noted publicly that a lot of ‘news n***as’ were trying to track him down for the video. (It’s a word he uses a lot on this Twitter feed.)

“In response to a private direct message, Hoff called herself one of those ‘news n****s.’ At first, he wrote ‘LMFAOO’ but when he realized she was a white woman, he wondered if she was calling him that word. She explained she was referring to herself and quickly apologized. . . .”

As part of its “Inspiring America” series, “NBC Nightly News” on Friday told viewers, “Myiesha Taylor always wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but the loss of her father in LA violence in 1992 drove her to a career in emergency medicine.” (video)

Since L.A. Riots, More Media Checks, Balances

“This weekend marks 25 years since the riots that consumed Los Angeles for five days after a jury acquitted four LAPD officers in the beating of Rodney King,” NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro told listeners of “Weekend Edition Sunday.”

“The verdict sparked a national debate about racial injustice. A debate that continues in the years since anger erupted on LA’s streets. The media industry has changed drastically over the past decades. If a riot erupted today, it would surely be chronicled by citizens over social media. But in 1992, Amy Alexander was one of the reporters covering the violence. . . .

“GARCIA-NAVARRO: Amy, there was a lot of conversation about how the media did after the LA riots. How did you think the coverage did now in hindsight?

“ALEXANDER: I feel like the follow-up coverage sort of caught up to the facts relatively quickly. But in the immediate aftermath, there was, to me, evident gaps in the coverage that had to do with the demographic gaps that [exist] in news organizations.

“It happened in my newsroom. The editors back in the Central Valley had injected ideas and language to some of my stories that I completely found objectionable, but they made those decisions based on their own assumptions — so putting in loaded language in certain parts of certain stories that just sort of fed into certain stereotypes, you know, using words like rampage, for example, which, all the stories I wrote that week live, I would never — I never called what I witnessed rampaging. That is a loaded word, so. . . .”

Garcia-Navarro then asked Errin Whack, an Associated Press reporter who was in high school in 1992, whether things had changed.

“I do think that things have changed,” Whack replied. “I think that, you know, we did have a pretty diverse group of journalists who were on the ground in Ferguson. Although, you know, I would point out that the decision makers have not necessarily become that much more diverse — still overwhelmingly white and male. And those people, you know, are the gatekeepers.

“But you do have journalists of color who, unfortunately, have been in this scenario multiple times in multiple cities in the past few years. So they have developed sort of a macabre expertise on these issues that I think does help improve the coverage. And, frankly, social media is, of course, correcting a lot of these stories in real time. . . .”

Garcia-Navarro asked Alexander and Whack, “What needs to happen so that, you know, minority communities and concerns can be better represented today?”

Alexander replied, “It’s if you have enough checks and balances in terms of diversity of thoughts, experiences, which, you know, means people from different economic backgrounds, different parts of the country — geographic diversity, different age ranges — you have a better chance, I think, of being able to sort of have someone put their hand up as a story is coming across and saying, you know, we might want to take a second look at this piece of this. We kind of want to make sure we’re not making certain assumptions. . . .”

Osiel López Pérez, a Guatemalan immigrant, started working at the Case Farms chicken plant in Canton, Ohio, when he was 16, too young by law to work in a factory. The job cost him his leg when he fell into a machine. (Credit: ProPublica)
Osiel López Pérez, a Guatemalan immigrant, started working at the Case Farms chicken plant in Canton, Ohio, when he was 16, too young by law to work in a factory. The job cost him his leg when he fell into a machine. (Credit: ProPublica)

Immigrants Fear Worsening Job Protections

“Case Farms has built its business by recruiting some of the world’s most vulnerable immigrants, who endure harsh and at times illegal conditions that few Americans would put up with,” Michael Grabell reported Monday for ProPublica,  citing the chicken plant in Canton, Ohio.

“When these workers have fought for higher pay and better conditions, the company has used their immigration status to get rid of vocal workers, avoid paying for injuries and quash dissent.

“Thirty years ago, Congress passed an immigration law mandating fines and even jail time for employers who hire unauthorized workers, but trivial penalties and weak enforcement have allowed employers to evade responsibility.

“Under President Obama, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed not to investigate workers during labor disputes. Advocates worry that President Trump, whose administration has targeted unauthorized immigrants, will scrap those agreements, emboldening employers to simply call ICE anytime workers complain.

“While the president stirs up fears about Latino immigrants and refugees, he ignores the role that companies, particularly in the poultry and meatpacking industry, have played in bringing those immigrants to the Midwest and the Southeast. The newcomers’ arrival in small, mostly white cities experiencing industrial decline in turn helped foment the economic and ethnic anxieties that brought Trump to office. . . .”

Short Takes

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1 comment

Greg Thrasher May 5, 2017 at 7:58 am

I am tired of the whiny laments in the media when they suffer from the same downsizing and workplace layoffs that workers in the manufacturing sector have always encountered.

Welcome to the reality of the post industrial era

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